Pushing Boundaries
by Ichihime Kurosaki
Summary: Even the strongest marriage cracks under the pressure of hidden secrets, lies, and painful memories. Will they ever be able to trust each other again? Or should they just cut their losses and move on? "So, tell me... How do you intend for us to pull through, when all we keep on doing is pushing boundaries..." Collaboration fic. Rating may change. Read and review please! Thanks :)
1. Prologue

**Pushing Boundaries**

**Prologue**

**Author's Note:** Hello, everybody! This story is a collaboration fic. between _Ichihime Kurosaki_ and _icypinkroses_. Icypinkroses was kind enough to agree to write a collaboration fic. with me and for that I am grateful. We'll be writing the chapters together but who the chapter solely came from will be in the author's note in every chapter. So, I suggest reading them! They contain really good information – important too! This first chapter, or prologue, is by me, Ichihime Kurosaki. This has been a while in the making and we hope you enjoy it!

And just to start, the "diary" scheme will be in a different tense from the rest of the story. The story itself will be in the past tense, but the diary entries will be for you to read as Orihime wrote. You'll see what I mean if you don't get it now, but it's not a grammatical mistake. (And they'll most likely be at the end or in the beginning of the chapters to come; however, not in every one.)

This does start out as a happy tale but things will become more serious as the story moves along. Just a warning for those who don't like reading things that progress to a more somber side.

Read and Review!

Add to your alerts and favorites list and don't forget to tell us what you think! :)

**Disclaimer:** Bleach and its entirety belong to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**_~X~_**

**_6:17 p.m._**

_Dear Sora-nii,_

_Friday, I am going to be married! Can you believe it? Married… Married to the man I love. *squeal*_

_Oh, brother, you would have loved him. He's so kind and sweet and gentle and loving. To me, he is the perfect man. _

_Ichigo. I love him so much. I don't think I've ever met someone so perfect. He loves passionately and protects fiercely. I think I just fell in love with him all over again… _

_Well, I guess he's not **perfect** perfect, but he's close enough. If I could take away one imperfection, one little flaw, it would be the way he swears like a pirate! A robot pirate programmed to take over the universe! Ha ha… I guess that's just my imagination running rampant again. Sorry…_

_Kami, I can't believe I am getting married! I feel like a giddy, little school girl. I know Ichigo will make good on the promises he made to me. He promised that our love would never grow old or weak. In our vows, promises of our love never-dying are going to be made. Promises of a never indecisive, zealous, and passionate love will be sworn. _

_Our love will always be strong… It will never waver, falter, or become weak. Instead of our love dying or fading as time went on, our love will do the opposite. We will grow fonder of each other as if we were just finding love for the first time and the concept excited us…_

_I think my favorite thing about our relationship is when we smile at each other. Ichigo doesn't smile all too often. When we met, he rarely smiled, but now he smiles more than what he did. And, oh Kami, is his smile gorgeous or what?! I love the way his whole face lights up when he smiles! He eyes hold some much emotion and his smile is breathtaking. _

_A lot of our friends think that we're still in the love-sick stage and that's why we act the way we do around each other. The loving stares and the hand-holding and giggles and – oh! Everything is just so great! _

_I am really excited for Friday. I know it will be magnificent! We'll have a beautiful ceremony and we'll be surrounded by our friends. His family will be there as well. I already consider them family and vice-versa. _

_Onee-chan… _

_I have something to tell him… I just don't know when I should do it. I keep telling myself when the time is right, but when __**is**__ the time right? But more importantly, I want to confirm it… *sigh*_

_I miss you._

_I wish you were alive. I wish you were here to walk me down the aisle. I wish it was you giving me away. I wish… I wish I had said 'goodbye'. I wish I had said 'I love you'. _

_Well, I must be going now… Ichigo is home. I love you, Sora-nii._

_With lots of love from your little sister, _

_Orihime. _

_January 21, 2013. _

* * *

**_~X~_**

**_6:37 p.m._**

"I'm home! Orihime?" Ichigo called into the big house as he walked in. He set his briefcase and coat on the sofa as he walked into the living room

"Hime? You home?" he tried again, searching for his fiancée.

Ichigo turned around to walk back into the foyer of the house and go upstairs when he heard feet running across the floor upstairs. He smirked as he thought about the owner of those feet. He walked to the end of the stairs and caught Orihime as she hurled herself at him. Ichigo spun her around and she giggled.

"Ichigo!" Orihime chirped as she hugged her fiancé.

"Hey, you."

"How was work? Did you save a lot of lives? Was Ishida-kun nice to you? Was the lunch okay today? I know I wasn't able to make you a bento like you like, but I was in a rush. Tomorrow I'll -"

Ichigo cut off her incessant rambling with a swift kiss.

"Calm down, Hime. Work was fine. I saved one life. Ishida was an ass, as usual and lunch was fine. And tomorrow, we're leaving to get married, so there won't be any talk of you making anything. You'll be mentally preparing to be tied down to me _forever_," Ichigo said, over exaggerating the word 'forever'.

"Oh! Well, that's great. I mean the lunch and the saving part, not the Ishida -" Orihime started chattering again.

"Orihime," Ichigo sighed.

"Huh? Oh yeah, sorry," she said and laughed self-consciously.

Ichigo chuckled at her antics and walked over to the living room again, Orihime in tow.

"So, you're having you're bachelorette party tonight?" Ichigo asked as they settled onto the couch, content to be in each other's embrace. Orihime sighed peacefully and shook her head. She hummed a bit in the negative before hugging him tighter.

"Oh?" Ichigo pulled his head back a bit to look at her and cocked an expectant eye brow.

"No, I won't be leaving the house tonight. I'm staying here," Orihime mumbled into his chest sleepily.

"And why is that?" Ichigo curiously asked.

"I don't want to be around all of _that_. I finally convinced Tatsuki-chan into getting Rangiku-san off my back. I just want to stay home, with you. That's if you were planning to stay home," she answered honestly.

"You want to spend your last night as a _free_ woman home? Alone? With me? In this big house? With comfy beds?" Ichigo asked incredulously. "Why?!"

Orihime burst out laughing and Ichigo soon joined in.

"Well if you wanted me gone, all you had to do was ask!" Orihime said one the giggles subsided. "Besides, what about Renji-kun and Asano-kun? I know that Keigo-kun is very persistent."

"No._ No__!_ don't even mention their names! I already threatened them within one inch of their lives. I said that I didn't want any part in their plans to get laid. Besides," Ichigo said as he pushed Orihime back into the sofa to hover over her. "I think I have a few ways to pass the time, anyway."

"Really? Are they better than going out and getting drunk and not remembering what I did the next day?"

"Oh, hell yeah! Way better," Ichigo said.

"And what was that that you said about comfy beds?" Orihime asked, giggling.

"I can show you the beds better than explain. I'll let you decide if their comfortable enough," Ichigo replied. He stood up and held a hand out to Orihime. She grabbed his hand, only to pull him down on to the sofa, to her side. She got up and started running towards their room. She laughed as he yelled out in surprise.

Ichigo got up and ran after her, a smile plastered on his face…

* * *

**_~X~_**

**_2:56 a.m._**

Orihime sat in the bathroom, tightly clutching the little white stick in her hands. She was silently crying and was on the floor, surrounded by open boxes and a ton of tissues.

_'Kami, please be negative. Please!'_ She thought over and over like a broken mantra.

She looked at the stick again and sharply sucked in her breath. Her tears began to flow at an even quicker rate and she doubled over, rocking back and forth.

That was the third test she had taken that night and the fifth one that week.

For the past week she had woken up in the morning lightheaded. She would rush to the bathroom and vomit whatever was in her stomach. Sometimes it wouldn't be anything and she would just be puking a vile-tasting acid.

When the little pink line appeared, she was broken.

They were young. They had their lives ahead of them. Ichigo was just starting to take off as a respected surgeon. His career had started as a bumpy one, but he had worked up the ranks and was going places. Orihime was no longer a teacher's assistant. She was now a certified teacher and would have her own pre-school class soon.

And she was supposed to be using protection. How could she be so careless?

Orihime sat there for what seemed like years and mentally berated herself.

What would Ichigo think? What would his family think?

They were barely 26 for crying out loud! And hadn't Ichigo said before that he was happy with it being only the two of them?

Oh Kami... What a horrible trick of Fate…

* * *

**_~X~_**

**Mistakes will be corrected tomorrow. Comments? Questions? Concerns? **

**I.K. **

**Icypinkroses **


	2. Chapter 1

**Pushing Boundaries**

**Chapter 1:**

**Wedding Day Jitters?**

**Author's Note:** Hello, everybody! This story is a collaboration fic. between _Ichihime Kurosaki_ and _icypinkroses_. Icypinkroses was kind enough to agree to write a collaboration fic. with me and for that I am grateful. We'll be writing the chapters together but who the chapter solely came from will be in the author's note in every chapter. So, I suggest reading them! They contain really good information – important too! This has been a while in the making and we hope you enjoy it!

This chapter was written by the wonderful, _Icypinkroses_. Really short update, but we are on a bit of a time crunch and we both agreed that it didn't really need else much…

This does start out as a happy tale but things will become more serious as the story moves along. This is just a warning for those who don't like reading things that progress to a more somber side.

Read and Review!

Add to your alerts and favorites list and don't forget to tell us what you think! :)

**Disclaimer:** Bleach and its entirety belong to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**_~X~_**

**_3:18 a.m._**

_I have to tell him. I have to tell him. But if I tell him…he'll be angry. He'll be angry with me…what should I do? What can I tell him? We're getting married in a few days; this will only ruin the mood._

_I can't tell him. Not now. Not yet. I'll tell him later. The truth is bound to come out anyway…unless…_

_No! What am I thinking? I can't possibly do that. Can I? Will he notice? Oh God, what am I doing? I can't think about this. I need to get ready. My wedding is only in a few days._

_My wedding! I'm getting married! In a few day's time I'll be Mrs. Ichigo Kurosaki!_

Sitting in the bathroom for a little over forty minutes, Orihime could no longer filter her thoughts as they came in a rush like a flood. She closed her eyes and willed herself to think about her wedding which was in less than 72 hours.

She tried to muster up some enthusiasm, but the weight of that little pink line weighed heavily on her heart, clouding her mind, and disturbing her happy thoughts. She felt as though she was suffocating under the pressure of her looming wedding and that evil little pink slash.

She squated down and placed her head between her knees, trying to breathe. It was difficult. Air wouldn't come to her. Her stomach churned and the sour taste of vomit coated her mouth. She scrambled to the toilet, heaving the contents of yesterday's meals.

Tears burned in the corner of her eyes as her stomach painfully lurched. She spat into the toilet, crawling up the sink to rinse her mouth out with the icy cold water. She wasn't sure what was causing her to vomit: jitters, stress, or this ill wanted pregnancy.

She splashed her face with the water, rubbing her eyes to wash away her tears. Kami, why did she have to be pregnant? Why couldn't this come later? She's not ready to me a mother. She was certain that Ichigo wasn't ready to be a father. That would ruin their entire relationship!

That thought caused her to sink to the ground, on her knees, and bury her face into her hands. She shook her head, her chest shuddering painfully. Their life together was just starting; she was going to ruin it. She was going to ruin everything.

They're weren't even married and already she was a terrible wife. She didn't know how she was going to tell him. If she even wanted to tell him. It was terrible to start their new life together with secrets and lies…but the truth seemed as though it would bring more harm than good.

_I don't know what to do! I don't know how to fix this! I don't know how to correct this!_

Her mind was a mess; swarming with thoughts and fears. She tried to push away the thoughts of the pregnancy; she tried to grasp on to her happy thoughts, on to the rush she got when she realized that she's getting married to the love of her life. But it was behind the unbearably large wall of pregnancy. There was no way under, over it or around it.

She was stuck.

She leaned over the toilet as she hurled once more.

* * *

**_~X~_**

**_3:23 a.m._**

Ichigo woke up to the sound of Orihime being sick. He unconsciously felt for her in the bed, but was only met with space.

He opened his eyes reluctantly, scowling at the absence of his missing bride-to-be. The sounds of her being sick forced him fully to consciousness.

Swinging his legs off the bed, he made his way to the bathroom and opens the door. He saw her on her knees; head held over the toilet, the painful sound of her vomiting the contents of her stomach hitting the toilet filled his ears. He walked over to her and knelt beside her, pulling back her hair from her face.

"Are you alright baby? Was it something that you ate? " he asked, his voice was soft and filled to the brim with worry.

Breathing heavily, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She turned to him and tried her best to give him a smile, but it was tight and forced. "I'm…I…It's pre-wedding jitters! That's it. I'm just nervous about tomorrow. I mean excited. I'm really excited about tomorrow."

Ichigo furrowed his brows together, frowning.

"We're getting married Friday. Today is Tuesday"

"Oh! That's what I meant!" she boinked herself on the head. "See, I'm so nervous that I forgot! Please Ichigo, don't worry, I'll be fine." He wanted to believe her. He truly did. So maybe that is why he let her go so easily and did not question her further. Maybe that is why he left to make her tea to calm her raging stomach. Maybe that is why when he led her back to bed and snuggled against her; he didn't say anything about her not _really_ being sleep, although she's snores softly.

She was hiding something from him. But he would pretend that she is not. Because he loved her, and that was enough for him.

* * *

**_~X~_**

**Next chapter is the wedding and will be longer. I'll be writing the next chapter. (****_Ichihime Kurosaki_****.)**

**Mistakes will be corrected tomorrow. Comments? Questions? Concerns? **

**I.K. **

**Icypinkroses **


	3. Chapter 2

**Pushing Boundaries**

**Chapter 2:**

**Here Comes The Bride**

**Author's Note:** Hello, everybody! This story is a collaboration fic. between _Ichihime Kurosaki_ and _icypinkroses_. Icypinkroses was kind enough to agree to write a collaboration fic. with me and for that I am grateful. We'll be writing the chapters together but who the chapter solely came from will be in the author's note in every chapter. So, I suggest reading them! They contain really good information – important too! This has been a while in the making and we hope you enjoy it!

I wrote this chapter! (_Ichihime Kurosaki_) Hope you like it! I also want to apologize for my tardiness. I was have some pre-nuptial problems and I have been busy. Sorry, this really doesn't come first. It's more like sixth or seventh on my priority list. Work, school, relationship, health, my career, family, personal life, _A Cause To Die For_, etc… Sorry. I will try to update more and fix mistakes.

This does start out as a happy tale but things will become more serious as the story moves along. This is just a warning for those who don't like reading things that progress to a more somber side.

Read and Review!

Add to your alerts and favorites list and don't forget to tell us what you think! :)

**Disclaimer:** Bleach and its entirety belong to Tite Kubo. I don't the songs named in this. The Cinematic Orchestra and Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy do. I don't own the dresses mentioned, but I did describe my own dresses in it. ;)

* * *

**_~X~_**

January 25th was a beautiful day. It wasn't too cold, as it was still winter, but there was just enough warmth beaming down from the sun that the day was enjoyable enough to be out and about. Many of the inhabitants of Karakura walked through the parks and basked in the sunlight and threw their heads back to enjoy the light breeze. The Jugatsuzakura Sakura trees – literally meaning October cherry - were still in bloom and looked beautiful in light shades of white and pink. And in the slightly-melted snow, with everything except the sky and sun covered in white, they looked beautiful.

Most of the small town was bustling around, going about their day like usual. To many it was a normal, regular day. But to others, it was the perfect day for a celebration. It was the day when two people would finally belong to each other, heart and soul. Mind and body, before Kami and the witnesses present. It was a union of two lovers; the wedding of Ichigo Kurosaki and Orihime Inoue.

Many of the people in Karakura knew of the events that were taking place as Ichigo was a renowned surgeon and shareholder. He was a business man and the fact that he was so young only served to drive people's curiosity and focus their attention on the young man. He was a successful doctor, entrepreneur, and was very intelligent. Add that to him being incredibly handsome and who wouldn't look at him? He was never short of followers and fan girls, so hearing he would be married was a shock. And everyone had to know about the wedding after that…

The woman he was marrying was not short of surprises either… Her name was Orihime Inoue and she was a gorgeous young woman. She wasn't big shot like her fiancé and didn't come from old money like him but she did come from a family of success. Her father and mother were the owners of their own franchise and enterprise while her brother had been a CEO in the business industry. While he was alive, he did put money into the stock market and took his chance with the life version of gambling and they were very well off. She inherited his investments and when she got old enough, she hired an agent to help her keep track of this money and invest in her own stocks. While she wasn't as frequently in the papers and on TV as her fiancé, she was well known and admired by the people of Karakura. She helped wherever help was needed and she normally donated to charities. And currently, she was starting a career as a school teacher.

So, when a segment on the news showed the two of them together as a couple, and told their story as high school sweethearts, soon to be followed by the announcement of their engagement, there was an uproar. The queen of Karakura was besotted to the most sought out bachelor of Karakura, if not in all of Japan!

And therefore, on the Friday of the 25th, the hotel that the couple had picked out for their wedding was swarming with onlookers and curious and nosy citizens… It would seem that half of the residents if Karakura had left for Osaka when the couple had. Surrounding the hotel were large crowds of people, dying to get a look at the preparations and the wedding itself. Truth be told, many of the inhabitants from Karakura wanted to witness the ceremony of holy matrimony between the two and traveled the six hours just to get to the Sheraton Miyako Hotel in Osaka, Japan.

Outside of the hotel was a mess of security and local officials trying to contain the rowdy group of people from starting a riot. Inside was no better… There were staff members running around trying to get everything in order. There were caterers in the hotel kitchen trying to put the finishing touches on main courses and there was a chef and his crew bringing a large cake inside the reception room. Decorations were still being put up and people were bustling in and out of room, inside and out, to make sure everything was in order.

Ichigo, Renji, Chad, and Uryū watched from upstairs as Tatsuki, Rukia, and Karin gave orders and rearranged things that were out of order. Yuzu ran in from outside in sweats and a t-shirt and yelled something frantically to Karin and Tatsuki, animating the dialogue with her hands moving in a flurry. Ichigo leaned on the banister while Renji and Uryū crossed their arms, watching the scene unfold with amusement in their eyes…

"She what?!" Karin screamed.

The men all straightened and observed as Yuzu dragged Rukia and Karin back outside after Tatsuki gave them instructions.

"What do you think **_that_** was about?" Renji asked.

"I really don't know. But, knowing Yuzu, it was probably something trivial, like the wrong flowers being delivered." Ichigo deadpanned.

"Maybe Orihime-chan finally came to her senses and left…" Renji said, snickering.

Ichigo sighed and missed the opportunity to hit Renji over the head as Uryū took the chance to do it himself. Ichigo snorted and turned his attention back downstairs and looked as an auburn-haired woman ran in and hurried over to where Tatsuki was.

"Shouldn't we be helping and not snooping around and spying?" Renji asked.

Ichigo sighed and looked at Renji. He looked at Mizuiro Kojima and Chad and back at Renji, before turning back around.

"Can we make him shut up please?" he said with no emotion. He narrowed his eyes at his fiancée doing what Yuzu had done only minutes ago… Running his hand through his unruly hair, he spoke again: "Let's go."

"Go? Go where?" Keigo Asano said, appearing out of nowhere with Mizuiro Kojima at his side.

"To help."

**_~X~_**

"Tatsuki-chan! Tatsuki!" Orihime cried, running up to her best friend.

"Yes, Orihime?" Tatsuki sighed. It was only ten in the morning and honestly it was too early for all the yelling and crap that was going on…

"It's Rangiku-san! She lost my dress and hers, too!" Orihime said in a panicked rush. "I can't get married without a dress! What if we don't find it! I don't think that they sell wedding dresses like that… And we had to get my dress tailored! Oh, no!"

"Hey, enough of that," Tatsuki lightly reprimanded. "She doesn't have it anymore, I know. Yuzu said the same thing because she actually was in charge of all of the dresses, but after what she did Wednesday night, I took them. They're in me and Uryū's suite. Don't worry. They're fine. I sent Yuzu, Karin, and Rukia to go get them. In an hour, we'll start getting you ready. Everyone else should be taking a shower now and changing into something clean, so when it's time to get dressed they can change and we can focus solely on making you even more beautiful."

Orihime threw her arms around Tatsuki and hugged her. "Thank you, thank you, and thank you!"

Tatsuki chuckled and stepped out of the embrace. She looked at Orihime and opened her mouth to speak when she averted her gaze to something behind Orihime. She snapped her shut and smirked as Orihime squeaked in surprise when Ichigo wrapped his arms around her torso and flushed her to his chest, resting his chin on her shoulder.

He kissed her cheek and said: "Hello, beautiful."

She giggled and melted in his embrace. Tatsuki shook her head and looked around the cuddling couple to see Ichigo and the rest of the groom's party. She winked at Uryū and laughed at his blush. The group soon fell into old habits and began talking about the events taking place like no wedding was taking at all. Ichigo interrupted their fun to ask what they could do to help before going to get ready as it was almost time for them to begin changing.

Tatsuki sighed and said: "Nothing much… The incompetent ignoramuses that inhabit this hotel were put work and we finally have everything done. The catering service and the florists finished not too long ago. And now we just have to get **_that_** one ready. And only Kami knows how long that will take. Everything else is being taken care of. There is actually no need to hurry. We are right on schedule for an afternoon wedding followed by an evening reception and then by ten or eleven, you two are off to Kami knows where."

Ichigo chuckled before replying while Orihime pouted and crossed her arms at Tatsuki's comment about **_'that one'_**.

"Who? This one? No… It can't take that long," Ichigo said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Everyone laughed and Orihime cried out indignantly.

"Ichi! You're supposed to be on my side!" she complained to her husband-to-be.

"I am! I defended you! Right?" Ichigo asked the others who were still laughing a bit. Ichigo smiled at Orihime and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I'm just kidding, Hime. I love you," he whispered in her ear.

She blushed and told him she loved him too before placing a chaste kiss on his lips. Ichigo's smile grew in appreciation and everyone looked at the scene in front of them with adoration. They were happy that their friends were finally getting their happily ever after.

Soon after, Tatsuki and Karin – who had come back after nearly strangling Rangiku Matsumoto – escorted the boys away, mainly Ichigo, claiming that he wasn't supposed to see his bride before the wedding. He humored them and reluctantly let Karin drag him away after stealing a kiss from Orihime. He smiled wickedly and winked at her, calling over his shoulder: "I'll see you at the altar! I'll be the one in black and looking unbelievably sexy!"

"I'll be the one in white. Can't miss it!" she called back with a huge grin on her face. She blew him a kiss and he acted like he caught it, saying: "I'll make sure to look!"

She giggled softly as his friends joked around with him as they walked into the terrace upstairs and outside. She let out a long sigh and looked down at her still flat stomach. She placed a hand on it and unconsciously rubbed circles on her belly. Tatsuki looked at her friend and smiled sadly. She was the one who had caught onto Orihime's symptoms and prompted her friend to take a pregnancy test. She took slow steps towards Orihime and grabbed her hands.

"You haven't told him yet, have you?" she asked quietly.

Orihime shook her head in the negative. Tatsuki released a breath she didn't she was holding and embraced Orihime.

"That's for another day. Come on, you're getting married to a berry! Let's go make all the men and boys drop from your beauty!"

Orihime nodded her head vigorously and the two woman walked away, chatting and laughing as they made their way to Orihime's suite…

Unbeknown to them, someone was watching them from upstairs and had just heard and saw everything that took place…

**_~X~_**

"Okay! Are we all lined up and ready?" Rukia asked in a loud and clear voice. Everyone immediately ceased their noise to pay attention. After a few murmured replies and head bobs, Tatsuki took over for Rukia.

"All right! Ichigo and Chad will already be at the altar. As you all **_should_** know by now, Rangiku, the processional goes in this order: Rangiku and Uryū, then Rukia and Renji. Karin and Mizuiro followed by Yuzu and Keigo. Then I'll walk followed by Ururu, Yachiru, and Jinta, Hey! Are you three listening? Ururu and Yachiru, you'll walk down and throw the flowers. Yachiru, you'll go stand with Kenpachi. He'll be standing there, waiting for you. Ururu and Jinta, Kisuke and Yoruichi will also be there. Jinta, you don't drop the rings. And then Isshin will escort Orihime down the aisle. Try not to trip… Alright? Any questions?" Tatsuki concluded.

"Yes," Rangiku cried out. "Why do I have to walk with your man? And why does Karin-chan have to be with that human idiot and not captain? They're dating! And why can't Jinta be with Yuzu? Besides, Jinta is too old to be a ring bearer. And why can't I be with Byakuya?!" she whined.

"Somebody, please, hit her over the head! Toshiro, Jinta, Byakuya aren't part of the processional. I am the maid of honor so I walk alone and Jinta is fine. This isn't a very traditional wedding, in case you haven't noticed!" Tatsuki fumed.

Rangiku huffed and turned to take her place in the front.

"Anyone else?" Tatsuki dared.

"Um… Tatsuki? Orihime-nee looks like she might throw up or pass out or both…" Karin said a bit nervous.

Tatsuki rushed over to Orihime and placed her hand on Orihime's shoulders.

"What's the matter? Is it the dress? Is it too tight? Do you want to put on the other one?" Tatsuki said, eyeing the other wedding dress in the corner of the room.

It was a beautiful gown and was just waiting to have its chance to be worn… It was decided that since Orihime couldn't decided between the two dresses that she currently owned, that she could buy them both. They were custom made and tailored to specifically fit her bodice and her bodice only. After waterworks from Orihime and much arguing on her part, she decided that she would call Ichigo to ask for his input. Being that he was busy and was half paying attention, he said that he would pay for them both. He soothed Orihime and when she asked why she would need two dresses, he said that she could wear one for the ceremony and the other one for the reception… That seemed to solve everything.

It was a Sweetheart A-line strapless 2011 bridal gown with lace long sleeves. It had a corset design in a crème color and a train. The dress she currently wore was a Romantic style wedding dress from the Pronovias 2013 Glamour Collection. It was a Pronovias Uley optical white dress. The dress was a Strapless A-line with royal satin and was pure white with a semi-long train. The intricate detailing on the bodice of the gown was echoed within the scrolls and shimmering stones in the vintage-inspired earrings. They were wildly elegant, drop earrings and she wore a shimmering scroll bangle. Her hair was up in French twists and was pulled to one side, tumbling down her bare shoulder, cascading in perfect curls past her waist. The front of her hair was in a small bump that supported the tiara that would conceal where the veil was placed on her head. She wore a little bit of make up as her face was naturally beautiful and didn't require it. Her hands were bare, except for her French manicure – to match her pedicure- and her engagement ring, which was sparkling in the sunlight from the window. To top it off she wore fold satin, peep-toe, stilettos hid beneath her dress.

Orihime was truly the epitome of beauty. It made everyone's heart clench at just how gorgeous she looked. It would be a miracle if Ichigo didn't faint when he saw her. It would be a blessing if the men could keep their drool in their mouths as she walked past them.

"No," she whispered. "Everything just really hit me… We're getting married. We're – we're getting married, Tatsuki."

Orihime let out a nervous giggle and everyone looked at her like she had lost it.

"I'm getting married!" she cried and began laughing. Everyone cracked a smile and began to relax. They were happy for her and Ichigo. It was about damn time that they tied the knot!

"Okay, well, when we're done, Ichigo is bringing you back here while the guests get settled for you and Ichigo's first appearance as a married couple. The **_grand_** entrance. We'll get you changed. Touch up your make-up and head you two to where you'll walk in… All we need to do now is wait for Isshin." Tatsuki explained. Orihime nodded and hugged Tatsuki to the best of her ability without messing up anything.

"Thank you. Thank you all, for everything," Orihime addressed everyone with tears in the corner of her eyes.

"Hey! No tears, it may be waterproof, but no tears! Smiles… Only smiles today!" Rukia said from her spot in line. Orihime giggled and blinked away the tears… She was finally ready to be married.

**_~X~_**

About five minutes later, Isshin knocked on a door where the ladies were waiting for their cue to walk…

"Hey, ladies. We're ready."

Everyone wished Orihime luck and made their way out of the room. _The Arrival of the Birds and Transformation_ by The Cinematic Orchestra was heard from the venue of the ceremony and the bridesmaids made their way to the aisle to meet their respective partners… Tatsuki, Ururu, Yachiru, Jinta, Isshin, and Orihime were the only ones left behind. The music changed to the traditional _Wedding March_ and Tatsuki started walking to stand closest to the altar. Ururu and Yachiru began a graceful dance down the aisle, leaving red rose petals on the floor in their wake. Jinta began a little while after them and soon Isshin tugged on Orihime's arm to signal to her that it was time to walk…

She closed her eyes and took deep steady breaths to regulate her heart. She opened them and began walking down the aisle. Her eyes were looking at the crème colored decorations with flecks of gold and red and black. Her eyes took in everything but the one thing she wanted to see the most – the one **_person_** she wanted to look at - was not in her sight yet. She tightened her grip on Isshin's elbow as they turned the corner. All the guests shifted in their seats to get a better look at the blushing bride, but she never met their gaze. She looked up and smiled the biggest smile as she met his gaze. His smoldering, passionate, and fierce amber eyes widened slightly and he soon grinned like a school boy. The only thing keeping her from running down the aisle and throwing herself at his was the pressure of Isshin's hand on hers. It was also the only thing keeping her from falling.

Ichigo started to shift nervously from foot to foot when he heard the Wedding March, but a firm hand on his shoulder from  
Chad calmed him down only slightly. He looked up when he heard the gasps and murmurs of excitement from the guests. He knew that their friends were looking at him now and were smiling and that he was probably going to be teased for openly gawking at Orihime like the rest of the guests, but he didn't care. The only thing he could see was her and when she met his heated stare, he smiled the biggest smile he has ever smiled in his entire existence.

They were finally going to be married… After all the obstacles they had to overcome to be together and be accepted by the public eye. It was finally happening. And he couldn't be happier…

**_~X~_**

**Mistakes will be fixed on Monday followed by an update for ****_A Cause To Die For…_**

**Sorry for the delay. It was my fault. :/**

**And look up that dress. (Pronovias Uley from the 2013 Pronovias Glamour Collection) It's beautiful and I can't believe I get to wear it for my day! The other one was the dress my sister wore, so hey, if I already have descriptions and such, why go crazy trying to look up dresses on Google? **

**And if you lovely readers can stop by my profile page and scroll down right before you hit my stories and such, there is this little section entitled HELP. If you guys can take a second to read over that really quick and see if you know what stories I am talking about it would be amazing! Just PM if you know :)**

**Comments? Questions? Concerns?**

**I.K.**

**Icypinkroses.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Pushing Boundaries**

**Chapter 3:**

**Awkward Reception Conversation and Flight Misinterpretation**

**Author's Note:** Long time, ne? Sorry for that – we have been busy… Anyway, this story is a collaboration fic. between _Ichihime Kurosaki_ and _icypinkroses_. Icypinkroses was kind enough to agree to write a collaboration fic. with me and for that I am grateful. We'll be writing the chapters together but who the chapter solely came from will be in the author's note in every chapter. So, I suggest reading them! They contain really good information – important too! This has been a while in the making and we hope you enjoy it!

This chapter came from the both of us and we hope it pleases you! :)

This does start out as a happy tale but things will become more serious as the story moves along. This is just a warning for those who don't like reading things that progress to a more somber side.

*** I wouldn't say it's lime the second half, because honestly it's not, but some people may get uncomfortable with the sexiness that is Ichigo Kurosaki. XD Sorry! And I also must apologize for Grimmjow's crudeness and blunt speech… Yeah, he's not really the type to beat around the bush, now is he?

Read and Review!

Add to your alerts and favorites list and don't forget to tell us what you think in a lovely thing called a _review_! :)

**Disclaimer:** Bleach and its entirety belong to Tite Kubo.

* * *

**_~X~_**

* * *

"Kurosaki! Congrats! It's about damn time you get hitched. I'm surprised it took you so long with how possessive you are... You're even luckier that someone didn't steal her from you - someone like me; with all my glory and charm... But the even bigger question is when are you two going to start popping out orange-head freaks?" Grimmjow Jagearjaquez asked one of his oldest friends, Ichigo Kurosaki.

Ichigo rolled his eyes at his friend's antics while Orihime stammered indignantly and Nel fussed over his statement.

"Grimmjow! Sorry, Ichigo. Orihime. You guys… I'm so happy for you! You two looked like long lost lovers during the ceremony and Orihime you look absolutely, jaw-dropping, gorgeous! Kami, are you beautiful or what? I had to keep Grimmy's jaw shut so the drool wouldn't get on his tux. Ha! And you can just feel the jealousy and envy radiating off some of the other chicks here. No doubt Ichigo is a catch, but you know that they got even angrier when they saw you. I actually like this dress better than the first, but they're both stunning," Nelliel Jagearjaquez – formerly Tu Odelschwanck – gushed as she carefully embraced Orihime.

Orihime laughed as she gave a hug to her friend and her husband. Ichigo gave Nel a hug and gave a _"manly"_ embrace to Grimmjow. Orihime looked at the way Grimmjow was embracing Nel and the way Nel had her arms curled around her abdomen. Orihime cocked her head to the side and then gasped.

"Oh! Nel! Are – are you…? Um…?" she implied with a gesture towards Nel's protruding belly, somewhat embarrassed.

Nel laughed and nodded her head. "Yes! I'm so thrilled too; you know, with the whole, fertile then not fertile scare… The past's the past ad now is the present so who am I to dwell? We were going to bring it up during our speech to you two, but it looks like you've already figured it out… Would you two like to be the God parents?"

Ichigo blinked a few times as confusion was comprehension with understanding and a small smile spread across his face. Orihime squealed and beamed at her friends.

"It'd be an honor!" she said.

Ichigo just watched as Nel and Orihime hugged again followed by Orihime kissing Grimmjow on the cheek. She gave them congratulations and began talking about nonsense Ichigo couldn't hear. He was too busy thinking about what it'd be like if Orihime ever got pregnant…

To start a family… with Orihime, the only woman he'll ever love.

_'It'd be nice. Waking up one morning and there she is, just like Nel with a bulging belly – with my child. Our child. Life with orange-headed devils for sons always making trouble and spoiled baby girls with looks of innocence, just like their mother…The hell?! We just got married; we have time for that… Calm down Ichigo. Hell, we haven't even talk about that yet, but here I am daydreaming about it. As far as I know, she doesn't want any and I don't either, right? Well no… not yet… It's a bit soon and we have out life ahead of us and blossoming careers and now that I think about it, kids are a full-time commitment. Damn… some thoughts to be having on my damn wedding night, ne?' _Ichigo finished thinking with a sigh and a roll of the eyes…

He realized that he heard no one talking to him and remembered where he was. Suddenly alert, he looked down at Orihime- who was staring back with concerned and curious eyes - and then at Grimmjow who was waving in his face.

"Oi! Earth to Kurosaki! We thought we lost you for a second… The princess started talking about _'blue men'_ and I got a bit scared that she was right," Grimmjow joked.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about…whether or not I double checked the reservations for later," he quickly lied.

"You damn liar," his suspicions being confirmed when Ichigo stiffened a bit. "You were thinking about whether or you'd have the cops called on you two tonight," Grimmjow scoffed as he watched Ichigo almost sigh in relief.

Ichigo chuckled a bit, albeit nervously, and Orihime blushed but the couple's expressions both changed with Grimmjow's next statement.

"So, I repeat my question for the umpteenth time tonight: When are you going to knock her up, Ichigo? You two aren't the most innocent, you know," he said with a smirk.

Nel hit him on the arm but turned expectantly to Ichigo and Orihime. That seemed to knock Ichigo right out of his daydreaming stupor. He straightened up and wrapped an arm around Orihime's waist, pulling her close.

_'No… I'm fine. I don't want any, not now at least. Maybe in the future – the __**distant**__ future,'_ he thought before answering.

"Oh, hell no! We won't' be getting pregnant for a very, _very,_ **_very, _**long time. We're happy the way we are. No kids! Just us… We just got married! What the hell is wrong with you two nut jobs? You damn sex-crazed idiots…" he concluded in a mutter.

Nel blinked before laughing, trying to ease the tension that was obviously in the air but obvious to Ichigo and Grimmjow. She hadn't expected that at all and Orihime held an uncomfortable type of body language and looked at the ground.

"Well, don't you worry Hime, because when the day comes for you to tell him that you are pregnant, he'll be happy. He'll feel like he is on the moon and you might think that you are excited but he's even _more _excited! Grimmjow was. Is rather. And even if you don't want them now, you will later. A child is a blessing… Just remember that," Nel said before she grabbed Grimmjow's arm and pulled him to their seats so other guests could talk to the couple. "Bye! Talk to you later!"

Orihime had stiffened when Nel said _'__**when**__ you tell him…'_. It was like she knew… But how?

Orihime looked up at Ichigo, who waved to the couple before turning to her.

"Hime… Just us for now, right?" he asked and cocked a perfect orange eyebrow…

_'This may be my chance... Just for now or maybe for forever... I know one thing though, that with a child, I don't get the choice of now and forever... A child; a child **is **forever... A child is a blessing, just like Nel-chan said, but am I ready for it? Is Ichigo? Are we as a team? No, we are not. A child puts everything on hold and right now, we've in motion - moving forward - and not pausing our lives... No, it's just us,'_ she thought as she came to her conclusion. _'Just us.'_

Orihime smiled and placed a hand on his cheek. She leaned up and tenderly kissed him on the lips.

"Yeah, just us…"

_'This is what I want… Just us. I'm not ready and neither is he. He doesn't want any and I certainly don't. Not now… Maybe – maybe not ever,'_ she thought as the greeted the next crowd of guests…

* * *

**_~X~_**

* * *

Around 10 that night, the newlyweds left the reception to catch their flight to China.

They boarded their plane, sitting first class on their way to Beijing, courtesy Byakuya Kuchiki. Orihime couldn't believe that they were given such an expensive gift. She actually couldn't believe that she was married to the most perfect man on earth! She felt as though she was going to vomit.

Oh no, it was actual vomit.

Wrenching herself out of Ichigo's arms, she rushed to the small bathroom on the plane, haphazardly throwing the door close as she released the contents of her stomach into the latrine. When she was certain that there was nothing left in her to vomit, she sat on the floor, placing her head in her hands.

She was supposed to be happy. This was supposed to be the greatest moment of her entire life. Yet, there she was, away from her husband, sitting on the cold floor of the plane, stewing in her own pool of self-pity because she was too chicken to tell him that she was pregnant.

She was so pathetic. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she just tell him? He was bound to find out anyway in a few weeks when she gained dozens of pounds, most of it centralized in her stomach, and when, duh, the baby came. If it would even take that long. He was studying to be a doctor. It was only a matter of time before he noticed that something was up.

A small sob escaped her. Why was it so hard to tell him? Why couldn't she do it? She was being beyond ridiculous. What was it? What was preventing her? What was going on with her? What was up with her? It wasn't as if she wanted the baby!

Wait…what?

She looked up, stricken, looking around to see if anyone heard her thoughts, which was ridiculous. But she was a bit too far gone to care about being ridiculous.

Is that why she wasn't telling him? Is that why she was afraid?

She…didn't want the child. She didn't want to be a mother yet. She didn't want the child. She was not ready for that type of responsibility. She didn't want the child. She wasn't ready to be responsible for another human being, for it to consume her life just when everything was perfect.

That's what a child would do. Forever. A child was forever – a commitment you can't back out of.

And by telling Ichigo about their child… it would be committing herself to it. Or to something else that would irreversible. Either way…she would have to make some tough decisions, and she wasn't ready for that. She was only 26! She shouldn't have had to make those types of decision - not yet at least…

At the wedding, it had been a response purely out of pressure from her new spouse and partly for not wanting to cause a scene in front of guests… But…

She didn't want to be a mother. And to voice that she was pregnant out loud would be to condemn her.

She pulls herself up from off the ground, rinsing her mouth out with water and tossing it on her face, damping the top part of her white dress Chinese flower print. She pulls her hair from the loose the ponytail, the orange locks spilling over.

She stared at herself in the mirror, her grey eyes confused and sad.

She loved Ichigo. She loved him with everything she had in her and more. So why was she not thrilled to be pregnant with his child. Did she really not love him as much as she thought she did?

There was a knock on the door.

"Is everything alright in there Hime?" came Ichigo's worried voice through the hollow door. Her eyes widened until they consumed her face. She began to silently panic. "Hime…?" She could very clearly hear the worry that painted his voice.

What was she doing? She was ruining their honeymoon! Yeah, there was a lot going on in her brain, but that's no reason to make Ichigo suffer. All he's ever been was good to her. She loved him and he loved her. She could think about all this baby mess after the honey moon was over. But after taking a few deep calming breaths, and shoving all her ill wanted thoughts into a drawer in the far corners of her mind so that she wouldn't be plagued by them, she was ready to face him.

Sure that she was ready, she gave a serene smile, noted the actual happiness on her face and opened the door to face her new husband, who indeed looked as worried as he sounded. He checked over her, grasping her shoulders tenderly, needing to physically touch her to calm the rapid beating of his own heart. He let out a barely inaudible sigh.

"Sorry to scare you, Ichi. But I think that I had ate something that didn't agree with me. Don't worry I'm fine now. I sorry to cause so much trouble."

He pulled her into a tight hug, squeezing her as if he'd never see her again. This was slightly weird. Yeah, Ichigo was overprotective and possessive, but they were in the plane and she was only in the bathroom for 10 to 15 minutes. There weren't many places she could go. So why was he holding on to her as if he'd thought that she'd died?

Her own thoughts were interrupted by Ichigo's fingers trailing up her body, sending the brushed over nerves aflame with desire, tangling in her hair until they reached her scalp, lightly scraping along the surface, sending tingles right down to her core. She reflexively clenched her thighs together, her mouth dropping open slight as a gush of air escapes her.

Her scalp was her sweet spot. Ichigo very well knew that. All he has to do was massage, touch, blow or kiss it and she is instantly aroused. He was such a dirty bird!

She could feel her knees going weak and the increasing dampness of her undies as Ichigo continued to lightly scrape her scalp, looking around for flight attendants before he rushed her back into the small bathroom, barley big enough for two, deftly locking the door behind him.

"Say Hime," he whispered breathily in her ear, his breath tickling the fine hairs in her ear, sending shivers down her spine and to her heart, causing it to beat in overdrive. It was as if she had lost all control over her body. Her head fell back as she moved her nose along his jawline, reveling in the feel of his skin. Her hands makes their way around his neck, pulling him close as she stood on her toes to capture his lips in a deep, arousing kiss, her tongue moving against his as lust and desire quickly took hold of her body.

"Hmm," she responded huskily, still moving her nose against his skin when their lips broke apart.

He stifled a groan when her arm moved down his back, stroking it through the material of his shirt. He dropped an arm to her waist, pulling her as close as humanly possible, as if he was about to absorb her.

"How about we become a part of the mile high club?" he groaned, as she slips her hand under his shirt. She halts in her movements, not understanding why he would bring up some type of club membership during this.

"What?"

"The mile high club?" He pulled back from her, through the haze of lust; confusion was clear on his face. She shrugged - anything to get what she now desperately needed sooner.

"How do we apply?"

It was all Ichigo could do to keep from bursting with laughter, thus ruining the moment when the flight attendants and possibly the air marshal would find them and ban them from air travel.

He shook his head, a smile etched on his face at her naiveté, consuming her lips with his, plunging his tongue deep within the moist cavern of her mouth, exploring every crevice, causing an intense need for air, which neither wanted to submit to just yet.

Breaking apart and breathing heavily, he smiled, staring deep into the glazed over orbs of her beautiful grey eyes. God, the things that she could get him to do with those eyes!

"I'll show you." He grinned devilishly, consuming her mouth once more.

* * *

**_~X~_**

* * *

**Questions? Comments? Concerns?**

**I.K.**

**Icypinkroses.**


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